Old is the new new: Across food and fashion retail, brands lean on nostalgic goods and practices to win over shoppers as inflation worries rise.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how GenAI is changing the customer shopping journey the most, the impact of AI agents, and how to maintain brand messaging in a more conversational universe. Tune in to the episode with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, our Analyst Jacob Bourne, Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian, and Global Digital Commerce Senior Director, Strategy & Execution, Todd Hassenfelt. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Google’s latest move disrupted product review sites: That change challenged retailers reliant on those sites’ affiliate traffic.
Walmart looks to make it easier for advertisers to buy its display ads: Walmart Connect’s new API should help it attract more ad dollars from smaller brands and marketplace sellers.
The BNPL player’s revenues doubled in Q4 thanks to users’ more frequent purchases
US consumer spending was resilient in 2024, but confidence is fading: Tariffs, layoffs, and inflation fears threaten to slow momentum as economic uncertainty looms.
Despite an industrywide push to grow via nonmerchant partnerships, BNPL players still rely on individual deals to reach large merchants
Amazon is weaving shoppable video ads into its Rufus AI chatbot, creating a frictionless way for brands to capture shoppers' attention and drive conversions within search results
The tie-up also makes Marqeta a more attractive card partner for fintechs
Warby Parker joins forces with Target: The D2C eyewear brand will open five shop-in-shops as it doubles down on physical retail.
Foot traffic to Aldi stores grew 12.3% YoY in Q4 2024, over twice the growth of low-cost competitor Trader Joe’s, according to data from Placer.ai.
Walmart recently bought Monroeville Mall near Pittsburgh, signaling either a massive retail expansion plan or a shrewd real estate grab. Either way, the purchase strengthens Walmart's market foothold while adding rental income. This isn't a random acquisition but a calculated move.
The challenging retail environment is fuel for TJX: The off-price retailer sees greater opportunities to attract shoppers amid tariff threats and declining consumer confidence.
The housing market may not improve this year: That’s forcing Lowe’s and Home Depot to push a lot of buttons to find paths to growth.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of February. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
McDonald’s zigs when others zag: Rather than follow the lead of Denny's and Waffle House in adding an egg surcharge, the fast food giant is slashing the price of its Egg McMuffin.
Instacart projects healthy order growth thanks to Uber partnership, affordability initiatives: But profitability is under pressure as ad growth slows and basket sizes shrink.
Temu burst onto the US retail scene in September 2022, winning over shoppers with ultra-low prices and aggressive ad campaigns. But while its initial growth was fueled by new customers, its long-term success is now driven by repeat buyers.
The company is trying to better market itself as a B2B company and grow its checkout business
The tie-up comes two years after Visa, Mastercard, and Discover began working with the firm